Broken Flame
by Kitai Matsuru
Summary: *Complete*!Side Story to Premonition. This is based off of a certain team I created in Premonition and their life before the story. It will be romantic in some parts and angsty in some as well. R&R please! Audi^.^
1. Children

Well, this is a side story to my Premonition series. I decided that this would be a fun thing for me to do, so I'm doing it. Please read this, please! I worked hard on it. Just take the time to read it. This story is focused on the life of a certain OC team I created in Premonition.  
  
Disclaimer: Actually, I own all, or at least most, of the characters in this fic, but I don't own Zoids.  
  
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It was a beautiful spring day. The sun was shining brightly in baby blue sky. A few fluffy white clouds floated by, making the sky a perfect contrast. It was a beautiful day, one of the many in the long spring month. The trees had their leaves back and flowers were beginning to bloom. The beautiful pinks and purples of the flowers and the greens of the grass, along with the beautiful blue sky made the landscape breathtaking. In the beautiful grassy area, there was a large pond, where small ducks swam by, and fish would dive up and back in. The cattails swayed in the slight breeze. The day was perfect in almost everyway. Sitting by the lake were two kids: a little boy and a little girl.  
  
The girl was your average girl next-door type of person. Her hair was the same golden blonde as the sunlight and hung down her back. Her eyes were a beautiful, deep, emerald green. She wore a white dress with a pink bow around the waist. The boy had red hair, just barely spiked. His eyes were a deep blue, the color of the beautiful, clear pond they sat in front of. He wore a white shirt and blue pants. They both sat there, just staring out at the pond. They were young, perhaps the age of 5 or so.  
  
"So how's your mommy?" asked the little girl.  
  
"She's okay. She went into the hospital today," answered the little boy.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"What are you hoping for?"  
  
"I want a little brother."  
  
"What's wrong with a sister?"  
  
"Nothin', but I wanna play stuff with him, you know, like dad does with me...sometimes."  
  
"What about your daddy? Is he okay?"  
  
"Yeah. Mommy said his classes are goin' good. Hope she's right."  
  
"She is. Mommies don't lie."  
  
"Yeah." It was silent again; the only sound was the breeze rustling the leaves on the huge tree next to them.  
  
"So when do you leave?" asked the girl. The boy looked down.  
  
"Tomorrow, after mommy comes back."  
  
"Where will you go?"  
  
"Dad said to the city."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Don't worry, we'll still be friends. I'll come back and visit you."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"I gotta go. Dad said we're gonna visit mommy."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"I guess this is goodbye, Mei."  
  
"I'll see you off tomorrow, promise."  
  
"Kay. I'll see ya tomorrow." The boy stood up and ran off. The girl just stared at the pond.  
  
"See ya, Rick," she said quietly to herself.  
  
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That's all for now. I think you should know who the two kids were. Anyway, I'll write more soon, but it depends on my reviews. Please review! Please! Audi^.^ 


	2. Parents

This is the second chapter to this story. Well, I guess you could have guessed that. Review! And read my other stories too. Please! Sorry to beg, but I love it when people review and support me. It feels good. Uh...anyways, here's the next chapter.  
  
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~6 years later~  
  
The city was huge, with buildings so tall that it looked like they reached the clouds. The people walked the streets, trying to get to where they wanted to be. A man walked along, holding the hand of a younger boy. The man was built well, a good type of father figure. He had short red hair and blue eyes. He looked like a father, but the look on his face explained otherwise. He wore a scowl, as if he were mad, and the way he pulled the little boy along by the hand showed that he was indeed angry.  
  
"Daddy, you're hurting my hand," said the little boy. He seemed to be only about 6 or so. He had spiked red hair and brown eyes. His small legs tried to keep up with his dad's long strides so that it wouldn't look like he was being pulled.  
  
"Just shut up!" yelled the father. He kept walking.  
  
"Drake, wait!" shouted a woman. The man stopped and turned to look at her. She had long red hair and brown eyes. She seemed worried. In front of her, a young boy was also running, a look of hatred on his face. He was only around 11 or so. They both stopped upon approaching the man and the child. His grip tightened on the boy's hand.  
  
"Ouch. Daddy, let go," he pleaded. This caused the other boy to get even angrier.  
  
"Let go of him," said the boy harshly.  
  
"Shut up Rick!" said the man in the same harsh tone. "Come on Mattei." He pulled the boy's arm, causing him to cry out in pain. This sent Rick in a rage. The mother watched on helplessly, not sure what to do to stop her son or her husband. Rick ran at his father and punched him in the back, causing the dad to spin around and glare at his eldest son.  
  
"I dare you to try that again," he said in a harsh voice, tempting his son. Rick took the challenge and punched him again, this time in the gut. The pain surged through his body. The man never thought that his son would be that strong to cause him such pain. He released the younger boy, who just stood there, not bothering to move. The man stood up, his anger out of control. On the side of his belt there was a gun, which he drew out from the holster. He was aiming for Rick. Angered flared in his blue eyes as he stared at his son. His finger began to pull the trigger.  
  
"Rick!" screamed his mother in pure fear at what was about to happen. She ran towards her son and got in front of him as the gun fired. Both the father and Rick stood in shock and regret. The father, Drake, lowered his gun and stared at his wife, her chest now bloodstained. She was lying on the ground, motionless.  
  
"Mom?" said Rick shakily. His father stared on, in complete shock.  
  
"Oh God..." whispered his father. Rick soon became enraged. He charged at his father again and tried to grab the gun from him, but his father tightened his grip on it. The gun was turned around countless times as the two fought for it.  
  
"You jerk! You killed my mom!" yelled Rick. Both were angry. Huge crowds of people had gathered throughout the family quarrel and were now watching what was happening. One took out a cell phone and called 911.  
  
"Let go of the gun!" yelled the father.  
  
"Never!" yelled Rick as he struggled to hold on.  
  
"I'm your father! You will do what I say!"  
  
"You're no father of mine!" With one final struggle, the gun went off. Drake's eyes went wide and his grip on the gun loosened to the point where he let it go. Rick stared on in shock as he held the gun, his finger in the trigger. He had done it. He had killed his own father. All through this, Mattei had just watched, not getting involved in any of it. He was in shock, to the point where he couldn't even cry. Rick looked at the huge group of people, all of them having the same expression of shock from what they had just experienced. Rick turned away and began to run from the group. He grabbed Mattei's hand and both of them ran off, away from the crowd, and away from what had just happened. They kept running until they were far away from the people. They turned the next corner, into an alley to catch their breath.  
  
"Rick..." whispered Mattei. The six year old had just experienced more than most children his age had. His eyes were now swelling with tears and he couldn't control them anymore. He began to cry his young heart out. Rick stared helplessly at his younger brother. He then knelt down and hugged him. Tears began streaming down Rick's face as well.  
  
"Don't worry Mattei. We'll be alright," he said in between sobs. "I'll make sure of it."  
  
"What now...bro?"  
  
"We'll think of something. I won't let anything happen, k?"  
  
"Okay." They both continued to cry. They were now alone in the world...no one was left for them...not a soul.  
  
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Wow.who would have thought that the cocky, Bit-like Rick Star had such a tragic childhood? I know, I have a certain obsession with angsty past lives. Sorry about the time hop, but it had to happen. There will be another one eventually. This won't be that long of a story. REVIEW! Audi^.^ 


	3. Lost Angel

Well, here's the next chapter. This will be one of my shorter fics. I just wanted to tell you that. And I'm also gonna put in three poems by the end of this fic. I want you guys to tell me who you think they relate to, you know, character wise. I'm gonna do three poems. It's just for a little game, that and I love poetry. You can guess or not guess. I don't care.  
  
Disclaimer: Actually, I own all the characters in this story, but I don't own Zoids.  
  
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-A wanderer  
  
Trying to find the way  
  
Walking an endless road  
  
The light is gone-  
  
-A follower  
  
Standing in the rain  
  
Not wanting anything  
  
Just to walk on-  
  
-A runaway  
  
On an unclear path  
  
Away from home  
  
Not going back-  
  
-An angel  
  
Beautiful and strong  
  
Lost in a different world  
  
Just a wanderer  
  
Not following a path  
  
Running away  
  
From unseen fears  
  
A lost angel-  
  
~4 years later~  
  
The city was still as huge as ever. Many people scrambled down the streets; just trying to get to wherever it was they were going. There was a shop at the edge of the city for people to bring their zoids when they needed them repaired.  
  
"You got your money, now you can leave," came the voice of a gruff, old man. His voice was kind and a little playful, but also sort of ruff. Two people walked out of the shop. One was a red headed 15 year old and the other was only 10, but had the same red hair.  
  
"Thanks old man, appreciate it," said the 15 year old.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, now get going. You've done your part here," responded the man.  
  
"See ya around."  
  
"Yeah, bye," said the 10 year old. They both silently walked down the street.  
  
"Well, what should we do? Eat, go to the arcade, go to a hotel, what?" asked the 15 year old.  
  
"Maybe we should spend it on something important."  
  
"Eating is important."  
  
"You just ate."  
  
"I know that." They both continued walking, the buildings still as tall as ever. They were approaching an alley and out of it walked 8 men, all dressed in black coats and pants, along with black sunglasses. Most wore bandanas. The two boys stopped. The 15 year old had a look of hatred, along with fear. The men looked to them and smirked. They began to walk over.  
  
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Rick Star. Make any good money lately?" asked their leader.  
  
"No, as a matter of fact, I just go fired," lied Rick.  
  
"Oh, too bad, but it's past payment."  
  
"I don't owe you anything."  
  
"Is that so?" He quickly looked to his men, then back at Rick. The men began to move towards him. Rick looked around for an easy way out. He spotted a city bus that was picking up a few people at a bus stop.  
  
"Come on Mattei," said Rick as he grabbed his brother's hand and made a dash for the bus.  
  
"Don't let them get away," ordered the leader. The bus closed the doors and was about to take off. There was a rail on the back of the bus and a ledge. Rick jumped up, pulling Mattei with him, and grabbed the rail. Mattie reached out and grabbed it as well. They both stood on the back of the bus as it pulled away. Unfortunately, the next stop wasn't far away. It was about a block away and the gang was running after the bus. The bus came to a halt and more people were getting on. Rick and Mattei got off and began to run down the street. Mattei was having a hard time keeping up with Rick's fast pace. He eventually had to stop.  
  
"Wait bro," he pleaded. Rick stopped and turned around.  
  
"We don't have time. Come on." He grabbed Mattei's hand.  
  
"I'm tired."  
  
"We have to go now," said Rick in a demanding voice. "Come on."  
  
"Hey!" shouted someone. It sounded like a girl. Rick looked to see who it was, a glare on his face. She had shoulder length blonde hair and green eyes. She wore a white shirt and blue jeans and a pair of normal, white tennis shoes. "You can't boss him around like that. Who do you think you are?"  
  
"I think I'm his brother, and I don't need you meddling in our affairs," retorted Rick. The gang members had caught up by now and were approaching the girl from behind.  
  
"Look out," warned Mattei. She just looked at Rick and Mattei with a confused glance on her face. The leader was about to punch her in the back of the head.  
  
"Get out of the way!" yelled Rick. He dropped Mattei's hand and then went over to the girl. He then shoved her out of the way and took the punch in the side of his face. The force knocked him over and he fell to the hard ground.  
  
"Jerk. How dare you run from us like that," spat the leader. Rick forced himself up onto his knees. His face hurt. He then stood up and stared at the leader of the gang.  
  
"Shut up. I don't wanna have anything to do with you. I'm sick of you and these twisted little games." He was then kicked in the stomach by one of the men. He bent over and got back down on his knees, his arms over his stomach.  
  
"Leave him alone," said the girl, who was now standing near Mattei.  
  
"Do you want a piece of this too, girlie?" threatened the leader.  
  
"Just...just leave her alone. She's got nothing to do with this," said Rick in a soft and pained voice.  
  
"No can do," said the leader. He began to walk towards her, but Rick extended his hand and tripped the man. The other men ran to him. Rick just smiled. He slowly got up and went over to Mattei and the girl, but was then grabbed at the neck from behind. The grip on his neck tightened, cutting off his air.  
  
"This is what you get for messing with us," said the leader in a cruel voice. The look on Rick's face was painful, but it made the man smirk. He tightened his grip even more.  
  
"No, bro!" yelled Mattei. Rick reached into his pocket and took out his wallet.  
  
"Mattei...take...this," he said. He tossed the wallet to Mattei.  
  
"Now...get out of...here," he managed to say.  
  
"I'm not leaving you Rick!" he yelled back. The girl straitened at the mention of his name. She looked to the red headed teenager who was being strangled. He did seem familiar. Rick moaned slightly and would have screamed out in pain if he were able to.  
  
"Yes...suffer," said the leader. Rick brought his arm forward and then jabbed it backwards hard, his elbow coming in contact with the stomach of the man. The man released Rick, who fell to his knees and began to breath rapidly. He then jumped up while the men were distracted. He ran towards Mattie and the girl, grabbed their hands, and ran. They turned a corner, went down an alley, and came out on another street. They then stopped running. All three were breathing hard.  
  
"Hey Rick, you okay?" asked Mattei.  
  
"Yeah," he said. "That punch will leave a bruise and my neck hurts, but I'll live."  
  
"Here's your wallet back." Mattie handed him the wallet.  
  
"Thanks bro. Now we can eat." Rick just smiled as Mattie sighed at his older brother's antics.  
  
"Is that all you think about?"  
  
"No." He still wore his stupid grin. He just laughed slightly. The girl was watching them and just stared at Rick. His blue eyes were smiling right along with his grin. It was as if he had never been in a fight. He was innocent, like a child.  
  
"Oh yeah, hey, are you all right?" he asked, looking towards her.  
  
"I'm fine," she answered. "I think I'm the one who should be asking you that."  
  
"Me? I'm okay. I just got punched, that's all."  
  
"That's all? He could have killed you, and you say that's all?"  
  
"I have to agree bro."  
  
"Why are you taking her side? You don't know her." For the first time, Rick glanced up and really took a good look at her. She seemed concerned about him, but she also seemed mad. He then looked at her eyes: the same emerald eyes and her golden hair.  
  
"It can't be," he said in a quieter voice.  
  
"What can't be?" asked the girl.  
  
"Meiyuu...is...is it really you?" The girl stared at him in a confused way. She then smiled.  
  
"I thought it was you Rick," she said. Both of them smiled. Meiyuu came closer and hugged him and he hugged her back.  
  
"It's been so long," he said.  
  
"I know," she agreed.  
  
"Um, did I miss something?" asked Mattei.  
  
"Sorry bro," said Rick, releasing his childhood friend. "This is Meiyuu. She's my best friend. This is Mattei, my brother."  
  
"Hi," they both said.  
  
"I've got so much to tell you," said Rick.  
  
"I do too."  
  
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I'm stopping here for now. I'll put up the 18th chapter of "Destined For Loneliness" soon...after I write it, that is. Remember to Review! Audi^.^ 


	4. Forgotten Star

I know it's been a while again. I haven't been updating anything recently, but I'm updating now. Hope you like it. I've given up on the poem thing. Just read the chapter, okay?  
  
Disclaimer: See first chapter.  
  
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Meiyuu, Rick, and Mattei were sitting on a bench near a bus stop. They weren't waiting for a bus, but simply talking.  
  
"Hey Meiyuu? Can I ask you something?" asked Rick.  
  
"Sure," she responded.  
  
"I was wondering why you weren't there that day...the day I left. You said you'd come to see me off, but you never showed up. Why?"  
  
"I'm sorry Rick. I wanted to, but I couldn't. After I went home on that day at the lake, there was a phone call. My dad had ended up in a car accident. Mom and I rushed to the hospital right after the call. The doctors did all they could, but it was all for nothing. He died the next morning. Me and mom spent the day crying and arranging the funeral."  
  
"I'm sorry Meiyuu. I didn't mean to bring back bad memories."  
  
"It's alright, really." It was quiet for a while, until a voice broke through the silence.  
  
"Meiyuu!" it called out. They all turned to see a man come running towards them. He seemed to be about 17 or so. He had dark brown hair and brown eyes. He was taller than Rick was and seemed to be muscular as well. Meiyuu smiled to the newcomer.  
  
"Hi Toru," she said sweetly. He stopped near her and seemed out of breath. She stood up and moved towards him.  
  
"What happened to you? I lost you in that huge crowd and then I went looking for you. Where have you been?" he asked. He then shifted his attention to Rick and Mattei.  
  
"Who are they?" he asked.  
  
"Oh, this is Rick Star and his brother Mattei. Rick is an old friend of mine."  
  
"Nice to meet you," said Toru.  
  
"Same here," said Rick. "But exactly who are you?"  
  
"Sorry Rick, I forgot to mention him before. This is Toru Karren, my boyfriend."  
  
"Boyfriend?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Oh..." Rick seemed to be thinking. "Okay." Toru looked to Meiyuu.  
  
"I got that room at the hotel for tonight. Should we head over now?" he asked.  
  
"Sure."  
  
"What hotel?" asked Mattei.  
  
"The Suite Inn."  
  
"That's the one we were going to stay at."  
  
"Cool," said Meiyuu. "Then you two can come with us."  
  
"Alright. Hey Rick, come on."  
  
"What?" Rick had still been in his trance.  
  
"We're going to the hotel. Come on," repeated Mattei.  
  
"Alright," he said as he stood up. The four of them began to make their way to the hotel.  
  
******  
  
Meiyuu, Toru, Rick, and Mattei were walking up the green-carpeted stairs of the Suite Inn.  
  
"I can't believe they let us in on such short notice," said Mattei.  
  
"I know, but I guess it's because they know us here," said Rick.  
  
"They know you?" asked Meiyuu.  
  
"Yeah. We usually stay here when we're not working for someone."  
  
"Oh." They walked down the hall a little ways and then found their rooms. 205 and 204 were the room numbers.  
  
"It's great that the rooms are right across the hall. This'll make things much easier," said Rick.  
  
"Hey Rick," said Meiyuu. He looked to her and she tossed him a keycard.  
  
"What's this for?"  
  
"I thought it'd be a good idea if we had each other's keycards. It'd make visiting a lot easier."  
  
"Yeah, okay. Here's one of mine." He handed her one of his keycards. They were given two keycards per room at the desk. They went to their rooms to put the bags they carried down. Rick walked over to one of the beds and fell onto it, face first.  
  
"I'm tired," he complained.  
  
"Then go to sleep," said Mattei.  
  
"I can't."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because I've got too much on my mind."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"You wouldn't understand."  
  
"Try me."  
  
"..."  
  
"Rick?" He took a closer look at Rick and found that he was asleep. Mattei sighed.  
  
"Sometimes I wonder who the real older brother is," said Meiyuu from the doorway. "He's like an ignorant little kid sometimes."  
  
"I know what you mean. I'm usually the one who takes care of him. He usually wants to blow the money we make on food."  
  
"That sounds like him."  
  
"Yeah," yawned Mattei.  
  
"Looks like you're tired too."  
  
"I kind of am. Maybe I'll go to sleep too." He walked over to the other bed and jumped on it, rolled over to his back, closed his eyes, and fell asleep. Meiyuu just smiled.  
  
"They're just so much alike," she said to herself. She closed the door and returned to her own room. When she got there, Toru was gone. Meiyuu frowned and then walked over to one of the beds. "Please Toru. Don't be doing what I think you're doing."  
  
******  
  
A few hours passed and Meiyuu was watching television. The door to the room suddenly opened and Toru walked in. Meiyuu turned off the TV and got up to meet him. He looked awful. He was wobbly and his hair was messed up. He smelt of smoke and alcohol. Meiyuu tried to pretend not to notice it.  
  
"Welcome back Toru. Where have you been?"  
  
"You know. By the bar and stuff," he answered simply. He just looked at her. He began to stagger towards her. "You know what?"  
  
"What?" asked Meiyuu.  
  
"You're really beautiful."  
  
"Thank you." He reached out and put his arm around her waist, pulling her towards him. He then did the same with the other arm. He then bent down slightly and kissed her, and she reluctantly kissed him back. He then moved from her mouth to her neck.  
  
"Please Toru, that's enough," she said. He didn't stop kissing her. "Toru, please." She pushed him slightly. He stepped back.  
  
"What's wrong Meiyuu?" he asked.  
  
"It's just that..."  
  
"It's that you don't like me any more, right?" he asked. His voice was rising along with his anger.  
  
"No, that's not it."  
  
"Then what? I'll bet it's that friend of yours, Rick. I bet you like him more than me."  
  
"Please Toru, that's not true. Rick is just my friend."  
  
"You're lying!" He grabbed her shoulders and she closed her eyes.  
  
"Please let go Toru; you're hurting me," said Meiyuu.  
  
"I want the truth!"  
  
"It is the truth."  
  
"You're still lying!" He pulled one of his arms back and hit her in the side of the face. She fell back to the floor and held her now hurting cheek.  
  
"Get up!" She didn't move. "I said get up!" She still didn't move; she only averted her gaze. He walked over, grabbed her shirt collar and pulled her up himself. "I said get up!" She still wouldn't face him. "Look at me when I'm talking to you!" He struck her again.  
  
******  
  
Rick opened his door and walked out into the hallway. He stretched his arms over his head.  
  
"That felt great!" he said with a smile. He walked over to Meiyuu and Toru's room and was about to knock on the door, when he heard shouting. He pressed his ear to the door and listened, but wasn't able to make out much of it. He pulled away and knocked on the door.  
  
"Meiyuu?" he asked. He didn't get a response. He tried again. "Meiyuu?" His response was the sound of someone being slammed into the wall. "Meiyuu, this isn't funny," said Rick. "Open the door." The sound came again.  
  
"Please stop," said Meiyuu, her voice barely audible through the door.  
  
"Meiyuu!" yelled Rick, trying to get her attention. The thud came again. "Darn it!" yelled Rick. He ran back to his room, opened the door, and grabbed Meiyuu's keycard off of the table. He ran back and slipped it into the reader on the door. He opened it and stood in shock at what he saw. Meiyuu was pressed to the floor with Toru over her. He had a firm grasp on her throat and seemed to be strangling her. She was trying to push him away, but it wasn't working. She had a painful look on her face. Rick tightened his fists and ran towards them.  
  
"Let her go!" he yelled. Toru turned in time to have a punch delivered directly to his face. He let go and fell to the ground a foot away. Meiyuu sat up and caught her breath. Rick grabbed her wrist and pulled her the rest of the way up.  
  
"Come on," he said. He began to run out of the room. Mattei had just walked out of his room and was just in time to be grabbed by the wrist by Rick. The three of them ran down the stairs and towards the front desk. The receptionist watched them as they ran by.  
  
"Wait. I need the money for the rooms," she said.  
  
"Just charge it to Toru. He's the guy in room 205. Bye!" answered Rick. They ran out the door and disappeared down the street.  
  
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Well now, wasn't that fun? Actually, it was kinda depressing, so I guess it wasn't that fun. There's only one chapter left. I said this would be short, didn't I? It's either one or two, depending on what I feel like doing. Audi^.^ 


	5. Broken Flame

Merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, merry Kwanzaa and any other holiday that is happening this month. I don't wanna miss any. Anyways, this is the last chapter of this fic, I repeat; this is the LAST CHAPTER of this fic.  
  
Thanks to those who read it.  
  
THANK YOU.  
  
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Rick, Meiyuu, and Mattei walked silently down the street. They were all afraid to break the uneasy silence between them. They had walked across the city and were approaching the entrance. They stopped near a shop at the edge of the city.  
  
"What now?" asked Mattei, finally breaking the silence. Rick just shook his head.  
  
"I don't know." He looked over to Meiyuu, who was abnormally silent. "Are you alright?"  
  
"I don't know. I'm...afraid. This isn't the first time this has happened."  
  
"Are you serious?" She only nodded her head. "I'm sorry...Meiyuu."  
  
"For what?" She looked at him with a look of confusion.  
  
"If only I hadn't made dad mad all the time to the point where he'd hurt mom and me, maybe we wouldn't have had to move away. Mom didn't want him to hurt my friends. If only I had been there for you."  
  
"Rick...It's not your fault."  
  
"But I could have prevented this. I never wanted you to get hurt." He averted his gaze and clenched his fists. "I'm so helpless." Meiyuu just stared at him. He was the same boy she had known all those years ago. She walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him. This startled Rick and Meiyuu could fell him tense up at her touch.  
  
"You're not helpless Rick. You saved me, and I thank you. You've always had my back, even when we were little. I wanted to thank you, Rick." She could feel him loosen up and he hugged her back.  
  
"You're welcome Mei. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise I'll always be there when you need me."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Really." They broke their embrace.  
  
"Hey Rick?" asked Mattei.  
  
"Yeah bro?"  
  
"What do we do now? We don't have any money right now, remember? We spent most of it on lunch and left the rest at the hotel."  
  
"Oh yeah..." said Rick. He thought for a while and then thought of something. "You know what? Maybe we should create a zoid team."  
  
"A zoid team?" asked Meiyuu.  
  
"Yeah. It'd be fun."  
  
"It would, but that costs money."  
  
"She's right bro," agreed Mattei.  
  
"Then we'll find a job...or some zoids. Whatever comes first." Rick looked around. Outside the archway that marked the entrance of the town was nothing but sand. They couldn't leave the city without being prepared. He looked around a little more and then smiled.  
  
"Look at that," he said. He pointed to a scrap heap. He seemed overly excited about a bunch of scraped parts. Mattie and Meiyuu just stared at him as he gleefully ran over to the huge pile of metal.  
  
"Rick, it's just metal," said Meiyuu.  
  
"Yeah, but it looks like it used to be a Lightning Saix. All the parts are here and everything. I bet if I only had the tools, I could fix it up."  
  
"I doubt that boy," came a gruff old voice. They all looked to the side door of the parts shop that led to the hanger area of the building. A man in his early fifties was standing in the doorway. The pile of junk was located to the side of the shop. It was a huge open area, almost like a backyard. The man looked at Rick. "Even with the right tools, it'd take months to finish and I don't think a boy of your age could do something like that."  
  
"I can too. I've worked on tons of zoids before. I'm sure I could put it back together again. It'll be like a puzzle."  
  
"People your age are always so cocky and confident."  
  
"Please sir. I know I can fix it. I just need the right tools. Do you think you could lend me some?"  
  
"How much money you got?"  
  
"Um...none."  
  
"Hmm..."  
  
"Sir," started Mattei. The man looked to the 10 year old. "We'll be willing to work for you, if that's alright. We don't have any money right now and we just finished a job. Do you think you could hire us?"  
  
"Why should I?"  
  
"My brother is great when it comes to repairing zoids and I'm good with customers. Our friend here is willing to help out too, right Meiyuu?"  
  
"Right."  
  
"What would you want from me for hiring you?"  
  
"A place to sleep and access to the tools. And meals of course," answered Rick. The man seemed to think about it. He looked to Rick, whose eyes seemed pleading.  
  
"What's your name, boy?" asked the man as he looked to Rick.  
  
"Me? I'm Rick. Rick Star."  
  
"And you two. What are your names?"  
  
"I'm Mattie."  
  
"And I'm Meiyuu."  
  
"I guess I could always use the extra help. Fine then. You're all hired."  
  
"Thanks sir," said Rick. "You won't be disappointed."  
  
"And another thing. If you can actually fix this busted up Lightning Saix, then I'll let you have it."  
  
"Really? Cool!"  
  
"Now come on. I've got work for all of you." They followed him inside and were amazed at how nice the shop looked. There were a ton of zoids in the hanger area, all needing repairs.  
  
"So what's your name?" asked Rick.  
  
"I'm Jake. I have a few more questions for you three."  
  
"Shoot."  
  
"Why are you here, in this city? Don't you have parents?"  
  
"Our parents died," said Mattei.  
  
"Our father shot our mother when he was trying to kill me. I tried to get the gun away from him, but I pulled the trigger and shot him. I still have it with me."  
  
"I remember that. I was in the crowd that day. I watched a young boy shoot his own father and then run away with his little brother. So it was you two."  
  
"Yeah," said Mattei. "Since then, we've been working odd jobs. We've worked mostly at part shops."  
  
"Interesting. And what about you?" All eyes were on Meiyuu.  
  
"My dad died in a car accident 10 years ago. My mom died a year after. I was put in a foster home and left when I was 14. I met Toru and decided to travel with him. Just now, I left him. Otherwise, we'd still be at the hotel at the other end of the city."  
  
"Looks like all of you have had it hard. I've been working here in this city for years. My father ran this shop and now I do. That's about it for me."  
  
"So...when's dinner?" asked Rick. Mattei and Meiyuu facefaulted. Jake just laughed.  
  
"I'm guessing you have a one track mind kid. I think you'll all do fine here."  
  
******  
  
Months passed and the three of them continued to work in Jake's shop. Rick would spend all his free time either eating or working on the dismantled Lightning Saix. His mechanical abilities surprised Jake, since Rick was still only 15 years old. They worked hard and earned their keep.  
  
A year soon had passed and Rick had finished the Lightning Saix.  
  
"Finally," the now 16 year old said. "I think I'll test it out now."  
  
"Be careful," said Meiyuu.  
  
"Don't worry, I'll be fine." He climbed up to the cockpit and sat down. Everything was going fine. He pushed a few buttons and the cockpit closed. "Cool." He began to maneuver the Saix. It was actually quite easy. He ran off into the desert and came back 5 minutes later. "This rules! Look you guys, I did it!" He jumped out.  
  
"Congratulations boy," said Jake. "You actually pulled it off."  
  
"Thanks. I finally have my own zoid! Now we can form a team."  
  
"We need two more zoids, remember?" said Mattei.  
  
"Oh yeah. Then we'll just have to save up some money."  
  
"That won't be necessary," said Jake.  
  
"Why not?" asked Meiyuu.  
  
"Follow me." They walked into the hanger and over to the far corner. There stood a Spino Sappa and a Rev Raptor. "These zoids are for you."  
  
"You mean it?" asked Mattei.  
  
"Of course. They were custom built zoids. You'll have no problems in the world of zoid battles."  
  
"How do you know?" asked Rick.  
  
"Because I've seen all of you work. You're all determined and you work together like a team. And you, Rick, would make a great leader. You're caring and honest and you always seem to inspire people. Heck, you even got me excited about this and I'm not even part of the team."  
  
"But we promised to work for you," said Rick.  
  
"Then I guess I'll have to fire all of ya."  
  
"Thanks Jake. We'll make sure to come back and visit, okay?"  
  
"You better come back and visit. And promise me you'll make it into the S class."  
  
"Don't worry, we will."  
  
"Now all we need is a name for our team," said Mattei.  
  
" 'The winds of destiny blow with the passion of fire'. It's something my dad told me long ago. Your last name is Star. Why not call your team the Fire Star team?"  
  
"Fire Star," said Rick.  
  
"Sounds cool," said Meiyuu.  
  
"I like it," said Mattei.  
  
"Alright then. Fire Star it is. Thanks for everything Jake."  
  
"It was my pleasure." The three of them got into their new zoids and walked into the desert.  
  
"Bye!" they all called out before their cockpits shut.  
  
"Goodbye and good luck," said Jake. The three zoids ran off into the desert to start their new life.  
  
Little did they know that in a year they would be battling and fighting along side some of the most famous zoid warriors around.  
  
**************************************************************************** ********************  
  
And that's all there is. I like the ending. You can all probably guess what happens next. Duh. Premonition takes place a year after this story ends, as you can see, it says a year later.  
  
I hope you guys enjoyed this.  
  
I also put up the PREQUEL to Premonition. Make sure to read it. I've updated everything.  
  
Until then, Audi^.^ 


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